Toward a Learning Platform in English Language Arts
Instructional Strategies
Information dissemination Teachers teach isolated grammar lessons with worksheet practice.
Discovery / Inquiry Students understand that correct grammar enhances their communication and have time in writer’s workshop to seek information needed to produce accurate conventions in their writing. (expert teacher, peer, Grammar Girl app, grammar book, etc)
Independent Processing Students read and answer on their own, questions that were created by the teacher.
Learning necessitates collaboration Students read with a partner or group (literature circle) and create their own questions in collaboration.
Resources provided to students Students research a topic assigned by the teacher.
Students seek resources Students self-select research topics, create questions, and seek their own resources for answering their research question.
Rote memorization of vocabulary Teacher assigns lists of vocabulary words, students look up, memorize, and take test.
Meaningful development of vocabulary Teacher and students identify words that students need to know for the purpose of understanding their reading or research. Students represent words in a variety of linguistic and non-linguistic ways, play games to engage with word meanings, and use word in their own writing. Word walls are created for students to share words they have learned.
Worksheets Teachers assign worksheets for students to practice isolated skills, then take grades from their work.
Use of notebooking for processing and reflection Teachers allow students to reflect and process their learning in their Writer’s Interactive Notebook and grade their use of skills in authentic writing using rubrics.
Direct Instruction is whole group at teacher’s discretion Teachers teach all content from TEKS in lessons to the whole class.
Students seek out direct instruction – just in time learning Teachers and students are clear about the learning objective. Teacher acts as facilitator of learning and designs learning opportunities that allow students to access a variety of resources to learn. Teacher is just one of the “experts” in the content.
Time held constant – learning varies All students read the same book at the same time in the same “chunks”. Teachers says, “don't read ahead!”
Learning held constant – time varies Teacher teaches literary elements and comprehension strategies, and students discover examples, practice and share their learning from readings they have chosen.
English Language Arts
National Council of Teachers of English - Position Statement on the Teaching of English in Elementary School
National Council of Teachers of English - Position Statement on the Teaching of English in Secondary School
Toward a Learning Platform in English Language Arts
Teachers teach isolated grammar lessons with worksheet practice.
Students understand that correct grammar enhances their communication and have time in writer’s workshop to seek information needed to produce accurate conventions in their writing. (expert teacher, peer, Grammar Girl app, grammar book, etc)
Students read and answer on their own, questions that were created by the teacher.
Students read with a partner or group (literature circle) and create their own questions in collaboration.
Students research a topic assigned by the teacher.
Students self-select research topics, create questions, and seek their own resources for answering their research question.
Teacher assigns lists of vocabulary words, students look up, memorize, and take test.
Teacher and students identify words that students need to know for the purpose of understanding their reading or research. Students represent words in a variety of linguistic and non-linguistic ways, play games to engage with word meanings, and use word in their own writing. Word walls are created for students to share words they have learned.
Teachers assign worksheets for students to practice isolated skills, then take grades from their work.
Teachers allow students to reflect and process their learning in their Writer’s Interactive Notebook and grade their use of skills in authentic writing using rubrics.
Teachers teach all content from TEKS in lessons to the whole class.
Teachers and students are clear about the learning objective. Teacher acts as facilitator of learning and designs learning opportunities that allow students to access a variety of resources to learn. Teacher is just one of the “experts” in the content.
All students read the same book at the same time in the same “chunks”. Teachers says, “don't read ahead!”
Teacher teaches literary elements and comprehension strategies, and students discover examples, practice and share their learning from readings they have chosen.